Appian << AP ee uhn, >> Way was the first and most famous military highway built by the ancient Romans. Also called Via Appia, it is still used today. It was named for Appius Claudius Caecus, a Roman official who began its construction in 312 B.C.
The road led 132 miles (212 kilometers) from Rome southeastward to Capua, linking Rome to some of its early conquests. It was extended 234 miles (377 kilometers) to Brundisium (now Brindisi) on Italy’s southeast coast. Early Christians met in tombs and catacombs along the road.
